St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-22
THEY STRETCHED HEMP
Preston Valentine Departed for the Skinny
Shore via the GaIlows Route at
Augusta, Ga.
He Had as a Fellow Passenger Abe Cham
bers, Who Broke His Neck at
Newport, Ark.
Valentines Crime One of the Most
Atroc1ous on Record--Fu1
Detalls.
a Mystery Attached TO the Death OF
the Burglars at White
Plains, N. y.
Special to the Globe.

the BnTSl1IS dt w u1Ic
Plains, N. y.
Special to the Globe.
ATLANTA, Ga, Jan. 21.-Preston Val
entine was hanged in Augusta at l:45 this
afternoon. The story of the murder for
which Valentine was hanged is one full OF
brutal incident. 1t was on the morning OF
the 18th of September, 1884, that the city
was shocked by the news that William
Wales. who had been thirty years night
watchman of the Augusta Street Car COM
pany, was found murdered in the stables,
his body terribly cut up and his flesh
roasted. A pick AK was found by his side
the drawer of the desk near by had been
broken open and S3S. 80 IN change had been
stolen therefrom. The sight was most
revolving one. Lying across the doorway
which separated the superintendent office
from the anteroom was the charred body of
the poor old man. His head and neck re-
manned in the office; his hair burned off
and blood-clotted from the violent contu-
sion on the top of his head, and only a
small portion of the features recognizable.
Around him were
POOLS OF BLOOD
which had probably stopped the progress of
the fire there and from his limbs the
clothes and skin had burned off and were
peelng away. His shoes alone remained
uncharred. His hat was picked up near
his feet, and by his side was the watch
which he was about to wind and which was
evidently to record his II o'clock visit to
this room. Through the scorched dial
could be plainly seen the last puncture at
1880. Evidently the old gentlemen had
been killed, his body saturated with oil and
then, horrible to relate the fiend had
touched match to him before his life
blood had ceased to bound through his
veins. and before his pulse had recorded
the deadly work Of the cruel implement
which lay at his side. The suggestive holes
in the floor told that the plan of the assas-
sin had been to burn down the building and
wipe out the blood-stain with finger of
fire.
SUSPICION
at first rested upon several negro attend
ants but investigation soon established
their innocence. 1t was difficult however,
to restrain the people from lynching SuS-
pected parties, and it was not until certain
well defined clews pointed to another that
the suspected parties were safe from intru-
sion. The money stolen from the desk was
all in nickels and dimes. 1t was ascer-
tanned that Preston Valentine had been
spending money of this description quite
freely, and in consequence the officers Shad-
owed him. Preston suddenly disappeared
from view, and for eighteen months his
whereabouts was a mystery. 1t was known
that he made several recent visits 10 the
city. put he was always shielded by people
of his color, who helped him QUO of town
again. Detective Purcell undertook to run
the murderer down. He received many
clews, but was often led astray by the cum
ming negroes, who suspected his game On
the 10th of March last, however, Purcell
Swallowed a man whom he suspected of
being friend of Valentine. He followed
the suspect to the postoffce, saw him get a
letter, read it and put it in his pocket.
Capt. Purcell asked him for the letter,
which he denied having received but which
he fiually gave to the captain, with picture
of Tom Jones' that he had just received.
This was all the captain wanted.
THIS DID THE WORK:
Low moor Allegheny County Va, March
14th, 1S86.-Brother --: L drop you a few
lines to let you know that am well & doing
well / would like to hear how you all are get
ting along rite to me & tell me how Annie is
please tell carry to send me annie pictur l
would like to have hers too Just as soon as /
here from you all want to go to pennsylva-
L
find out how Jessie is & give my love to him
and perie Jones & Eryan neal l have been
working for Sl.O0 a day ever since february
a year ago tell carrie not to fail to send me
annie g. .Johney pictures tell carrie | am not
married yet / study about her night s. d. V
tell her would send her some money if i
could hear from her this is the letter have
ritten & have never herd from her yet 1 h d
a touch of the new mouner this winter Sus
not as bad as did when l was in Augusta l
taken care of me try to live closet to christ
than | ever did must come to close / have
no more to say at this time
THOMAS JONES
Direct your letter to Low moor Alleghany
County Virginia
deep Direct your letter care of John Walker
Give this picture to carry this one l had
takeing since Igor well
Did you ever get the letter I riten you last
fall tell Jessie would like to see him if he is
not got the money l will send it to him to
come to see me.
Capt. Purcell wanted nothing more; all
was plain sailing now, and he was off for
Low Moore, Va. He telegraphed the
sheriff or Allegheny county to meet him at
the depot, but as the sheriff lived out of
town he was unable TO see him until FRI
day morning. When Capt. Purcell met S.
q. Dyer, the sheriff of Allegheny county.
he told him as briefly as possible his story,
SHOWED HIM THE PICTURE
and letter and told him that he would give
him $50 if he would place Valentine, alias
Tom Jones, in his hands to be taken back
to Georgia. Together with the sheriff they
went to the Low Moor furnace. Through
the kindness of Mr.. Shelton they got Tom
Jones into the office. where he was turned
over to Capt. Purcell, who put the hand
cuffs on him inStanter. AS soon as he saw
Capt. Purcell and the detective saw Valeu-
tine they both recognized each other and
Valentines heart sank within him. When
the news of Valentines arrest reached
Augusta the widest excitement prevailed
and the determination was freely expressed
that he should be lynched Immediately upon
his arrival in this city. This made il
necessary 10 exercise some strategy for the
purpose of Guiding the mob. Even after he
was lodged in the jail in this city the
officers had to exercise great vigilance to
prevent the miScarrying of the law. The
prisoner was put on trial on the 18th of May
last with Judge d. d. Twiggs as his lead
ing counsel. He Stoutly maintained his
innocence, but the case was proven against
him, and he was sentenced to be hanged on
the second day of July. An appeal there
from was taken to the state supreme court,
where the finding of the court was affirmed.
In consequence OF this Judge Roney re-
sentenced the prisoner TO be hanged on the
21St of January. 1t was not until every
legal remedy was exhausted and no escape
from the gallowS remained that Preston